Thursday, October 22, 2015

Bath Time Fun

One of the things we are lucky enough to have at our house
is a really big bath tub. Which is a great thing now that we have three boys to
bath each night! Max, Lincoln and Elliot absolutely love bath time, and I love
seeing all the fun they have together in there. Some of their best bonding
moments are when they are all sitting there trying to out-splash each other!

For me, bath time is about so much more than just a way to
get them clean, it’s something I try to make as much fun as possible. We have a
little machine that sits on the side of the tub that blows bubbles and plays
music. We sometimes have mega-baths where we fill the tub with as many bubbles
and as much water as we possibly can. Other times (normally in summer!) I add
multi-coloured ice cubes into the water that they love to chase around!

Right from when Elliot was a new baby he has joined in on
family bath time. At first (when he was still really little) it would be quiet
& calming bath time first, so that Elliot felt safe. Then once I took him
out, the older boys would get to have their usual crazy fun! Now that Elliot is
almost one, the fun starts for all of them the minute they get in. Elliot is a
champion splasher and can definitely hold his own with the big boys!

I’ve always loved bath time with the boys and always made
sure they were having fun, but I actually had no idea that I was also giving
them so much more than just a fun way to get clean. Research has revealed that routine touch and massage by a parents or loving
caregivers (like the amazing grandparents my kids are lucky to have) is so
important to our babies’ growth and development, communication and learning.
JOHNSON’S® is at the forefront, highlighting the importance of daily rituals
that help you to stimulate your baby’s senses and nurture their developing
minds. They’re also paving the way by advancing research that reveals the importance of multi-sensorial experiences that can lead to happy, healthy baby
development. And like I said I thought I was just letting them have
fun whilst getting clean!!

If I think about it though, it’s pretty obvious how much
of an important thing touch is in our children’s lives. The way they adore
being tickled at any opportunity, how rubbing their backs when they are sleepy
is a guaranteed way to relax them, the way they reach out and hold each others’
hands in the back of the car and how any nightmare (no matter how frightening)
can be fixed by climbing into our bed for midnight snuggles.

Another hugely important factor in a baby’s development
is scent and the effects that it can have on their mood. My first experience
with JOHNSON’S®
products (as an adult) was the day after Max was born. Our midwife came in to
show us how to bath our brand new baby. After she’d filled the baby bath up,
she swirled some JOHNSON’S®
Top to Toe into the water and from that very moment it became my go to bath
product. Every single time I use it, it takes me straight back to when I first
became a mum. Babies start being able to smell from well before they are born (about
28 weeks!), so as I bathed my older boys each night, the little ones in my belly were becoming familiar with the
subtle, calming smell of Top to Toe. I’m sure they recognised it once they were
born because bath times have always been such a calming experience for them.

JOHNSON’S®is one of those
companies that is part of our history and will definitely become part of our
future. My mum used their beautiful, gentle products for my sister and me when
we were little, I now use them for my kids and hopefully my kids will use them
when they have their own babies. They’ve been setting the global standard in
baby skin care for more than 120 years, and I love that they are continuing to
work with leading scientists to ensure their products are about so much more
than just getting clean.